Super prospect says he’s ready for majors

BUFFALO, N.Y. — While saying he’s ready to make his major league debut, Toronto Blue Jays prospect Vladimir Guerrero didn’t need a translator to insist he’s not frustrated over still playing in the Guerrero minors.

“No. No,” Guerrero said before continuing in Spanish on Friday.

Interpreter Jesse Guerrero, who’s no relation to the player, then completed what the 20-year-old bopper said by adding: “He continues to play 100 percent. And when the time comes for the call, he’ll welcome it.”

As for being ready to make the long-awaited jump to the big leagues?

“He says you can see it’s obvious. He is ready,” the interpreter said. “But he says he can’t control what happens.”

For now — and it might not be much longer — Guerrero will have to remain at Class AAA Buffalo as minor league baseball’s top talent, his potential free agency already pushed back a year following a spring training injury.

The son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, he joined Toronto at age 16 for a $3.9 million signing bonus. He is 7 for 17 with 2 home runs, 6 RBI and no strikeouts in 5 games for the Bisons.

Guerrero didn’t get to play Friday night because the game against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre was rained out.

Across the country, Blue Jays Manager Charlie Montoyo grinned as the question came up once more: When will Guerrero get here?

Montoyo isn’t getting too involved, but he’s ready to write the slugger into the lineup as soon as the time comes.

“I don’t know when he’s coming, I really don’t,” Montoyo said before his club opened a weekend series at Oakland.

Montoyo doesn’t mind the immense interest, saying: “That’s what I like about it that I really don’t know, so I’m not really lying, otherwise you’d see my nose growing. I tell my GM, ‘Don’t tell me if you know, I want to be surprised.’

“He’s the No. 1 prospect in baseball. I get it. I have fun with it, too,” Montoyo said. “Either the first question or the last one, or in the middle. I appreciate that because we have the No. 1 prospect in baseball and it will be pretty cool when he gets here.”

Guerrero showed off his power Wednesday by driving a home run over the left-field billboards and into the parking lot in an 11-8 loss at Pawtucket on Wednesday. The blast was estimated at 441 feet.

This comes after a sensational 2018 season — in four levels, he hit a combined .381 with 20 home runs and 78 RBI. Unlike his dad, who had a propensity for swinging at pitches that bounced and others that were high, low and all over, Vladdy Jr. rarely chases — he had 37 walks and 38 strikeouts last year.

Toronto faced a decision whether to put him on the opening day roster or deny him 15 days of service by starting him in in the minors, but Guerrero strained his left oblique on March 8. That ensured he would not accumulate 172 days in the major leagues this season and will not be eligible for free agency until after the 2025 World Series.

The third baseman returned to play four games with Class A Dunedin, before being called up to Buffalo last week.

Guerrero said he’s not had any conversations with the Blue Jays regarding their plans, and instead leaves that to his agents.

Toronto assistant general manager Joe Sheehan said this week the team still is evaluating when to promote Guerrero, though outside speculation is it could be early next week — perhaps Tuesday.